SYDNEY: The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has ramped up its efforts to help consumers combat scams, using a suite of new resources said to help Australians protect themselves. The new resources include increased awareness and education programs.

ACMA says its Scamwatch has received more than 3000 scam reports mentioning the coronavirus – with more than $1.3 million in reported losses since the pandemic began.

It calculates that Australians lost more than $634 million to scams in 2019, a 30 percent increase on the previous year.

Chair of ACMA’s Scam Taskforce Fiona Cameron said scammers are using the Covid-19 pandemic to take advantage of Australians.

“Phone scammers are sophisticated, and they target everyone, so Australians need to know what to look out for,” Cameron said. “These scams impersonate government and other trusted brands to trick people into giving personal and financial details.